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'(NoModeL) I LJSOH'AFFER.

APPLIANCE FOR SELF-MASSAGE. .No. 376,968. Patented Jan. 24, 1888.

TUNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

' LtiDwIeso AFFER, or VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

APPLIANCE FOR SEHLF-MASSA'GE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,968,6ated January 24,1888;

Applicationfiled April is, 1887. serial No. 23am. (Nomodeh) Patented in Germany January 14, 18s7,l To.40,670; in-France Mata 7, 1887, No. 182,034,- in Belgium March 16, 1887, No.76,730, and in Austria-Hungary March 26. 1887, No. 5,959 and No. 10,217.

surgeon-maj or in the Austrian army, a subj ect- 1 of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Vienna,

5 in the Province of Lower Austria, in the Em-.

pire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Appliances for Self-Massage, (for'which-Letters' Patent have been granted in Austria-Hun:

to gary, No. 5,959 and No. 10,217, dated March 26, 1887 in Germany, No. 40,670,dated 'January 14, 1887; in France, No. 182,034, dated March 7, 1887 in Belgium, No. 76,730, dated March 16, 1887;) and I do hereby declare the r 5 following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to 'theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front face view, and Figs. 1 and 1 longitu- 1 dinal central sections,of the weights employed in carrying'out my invention. Fig. 2 shows I the device in its application to the abdomen. This invention has for its object to provide a device or an apparatus for self-massage, and more particularly designed for the cure'of ab- 0 dominal obesity or to counteract the tendency to abdominal obesity; and it consists in the means for attaining these results, substantially as hereinafter described, and as set forth in the claims.

5 I have found thatabdominal obesity may be cured or that the tendency to abdominal obesity may be counteracted by exciting the abdominal muscles and preferably maintainmg them in a normal state of excitement. I

' have discovered that this muscular excitement can be produced. by applyingweight to the muscles, which weight in conjunction with friction,be it ever so slight,resu1ts in a species of massage that tends to excite the'abdominal 5 muscles, thereby promoting digestion and a greater activity in the alimentary canaL, To

attain this I have devisedthe appliances illustrated in the accompanying drawings."

.Aindicates the main or abdominal band or belt, which may be of any suitable material and provided with means for adjustingitto the abdomenof the wearer and securing the same in position, and a a indicate weightsor metallic plates,preferably of soft cast-iron and tinnedor otherwise protected against oxidation. These weights are preferably made of elliptical'or ellipsoidal form and with acouvex bearing-face, a They are each provided with four slots, a,so that they may be adjusted to position on the band, andso that their position may be reversed. The said weights may be also made concavo-convex, as shown l'll the 7 sections, Figs. 1 and'l". V .In cases where the obesity is markedly de veloped,I employ a brace-strap, B, preferably of an elastic or sufficiently yielding fabric to allow a slight motion of thefbelt A and to support said belt and preventit from slipping over the abdomen. In such cases I also pret" erably employ additional weights for the lower Y muscles of the abdomen,strungon an auxiliary belt or band, C, that is connected to rings c or any other suitable fastening device secured to the main belt or band A, which ring or other fastening device also serves to retain the ends 7 5 of theelastic brace or stay strap or band B.:- In

practice, and accordingto'the'degreeofobesity, f Y

I have found that'weights' or plates a,rangin'g in weight from one hundred to three hundred 4 grams, will'answer the purpose; andas many of these as may be required, or as the particularcase under treatment may demand, are strung on the belt ,A, orv on said belt and'the belt 0, as shown in Fig. 2.- The number of these weights-that is to say, the. degree of 1 pressure to which the muscles are subjectedmust be determined by the nature of each'fcase treated. From two to six; or more of these weights may be strung on the mainbelt A,

and two to four on the auxiliary belt (1, as the 0' case may require.

is- V 1.,,The herein-described appliance for. selfmassage,comp'rising an abdominal band and a 9 5 ure upon individual abdominal muscles, sub;

stantially as and for the purpose;specified.--'

2. The herein-described appli'anceforselfr00 j Having described my invention, whatI claim massage,comprising an abdominal band and a massage, comprising an abdominal band havseries of weights secured thereto and adj usting a series of weights secured thereto and adable thereon, substantially as and for the purjustable thereon, and an auxiliary band or 15 pose specified. strap passing around the lower portion of the 5 3. The herein-described appliance for selfabdomen and having weights adjustabletheremassage, comprising an abdominal band and a on, as and for the purpose specified. series of wei ghts secured thereto,aud an auxil-i- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in ary band, 0, arranged to encompass the lower presence of two witnesses. portion of the abdomen, and weights secured LUDWIG SGHAFFER. 10 to said band, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The herein-described appliance for selfi Witnesses:

EDUARD TYBERN, EDMUND J USSEN. 

